My Honda is making howling/groaning noise I have usually associated with the power steering. The fluid looks okay and and level (I had my friend show me what I should look for) is okay but I can’t go into a turn without it making a noise.
Is it on all turns, or is it only on low-speed turns?
Is this still your original power steering fluid? If so, replacing it is a sensible first step.
How old is the belt?
When–if ever–was the differential fluid changed?
Good question from VDCdriver. If the noise is coming from the rear underside of the car, it’s likely the rear differential needing a fluid change.
“If the noise is coming from the rear underside of the car, it’s likely the rear differential needing a fluid change”
Actually, the biggest problem with CRVs of that era has to do with the center differential.
If the fluid is not changed every 30-40k miles–using ONLY genuine Honda Dual-Pump Fluid–there is almost always a problem with the front tires binding-up on low-speed turns and producing lots of noise.
So…even if the noise is coming from the front of the car, it is very possibly a differential problem–in light of this known issue with CRVs.
Is the OP going to return to answer any of our questions?
???
VDCdriver, there is no “center” differential on Honda CRV’s (I own one) The differential is in the rear and Honda calls it the “rear” differential.
This can be confusing to some people who are used to having a 4WD “center” differential and also a rear differential.
But on Honda CRV’s there is only a “rear” differential which incorporates the AWD mechanism.
Good reminder to use only Honda Dual Pump Fluid.
Perhaps it is called a center viscous coupler–or some term other than “center differential”–but the fact remains that owners of CRVs of this era who don’t do a regular (30k-40k) change of the Dual Pump Fluid are very prone to problems with binding of the front tires on slow-speed turns.
@VDC, you are correct about the need to change the differential fluid, but the “rear differential whine” problem due to old DPF fluid has nothing to do with the front wheels binding. That may be a problem on some other AWD system, but not on CRV’s.
And there is no “center viscous coupler” either. I think you’re confusing the CRV system with another make or model AWD. Maybe Subaru?
Honda’s old Civic Wagon with RT4WD did have a “viscous coupler.” But the CRV AWD system is different; all the AWD mechanism is in the rear differential, and the function once performed by that viscous coupler in the Civic Wagon is now accomplished by clutch packs in the CRV’s rear differential.
I’m sorry I thought I signed up for notifications that someone commented on my problem. I discovered today that after the CRV runs for a while the sound not only comes from turns but from going straight (puzzling).
I appreciate all your comments I’m looking into what you say. Thanks again.